Hydraulic pump and motor mechanism for barber and beauty chairs



Dec. 8, 1964 NEWMAN ETAL 3,159,972

H. F. HYDRAULIC PUMP AND MOTOR MECHANISM FOR BARBER AND BEAUTY CHAIRS Filed Aug. 30, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORJ Howard 15' ll eu/man Join E Dlaakq BY Mamas E Pena/z ORNE YS Dec. 8, 1964 H. F. NEWMAN ETAL 3,

HYDRAULIC PUMP AND MOTOR MECHANISM FOR BARBER AND BEAUTY CHAIRS Filed Aug. 30, 1961 3 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR)- Howard E lVewmall John /7. flloahy TTORNE YS Dec. 8, 1964 H. F. NEWMAN ETAL 3,159,972

HYDRAULIC PUMP AND MOTOR MECHANISM FOR- BARBER AND BEAUTY CHAIRS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 30 1961 INVENTORS f/aludra I? J/QZMIII J04 1? 01a y BY fimas 18 4% w ORNEYS United States Patent O 3 159,972 HYDRAULIC RUM? MOTUR MECHANISM FOR BARBER AND BEAUTY CHAIRS Howard F. Newman, Evanston, John A. Dlouhy, Oak Park, and Thomas R. Reach, Deerfield, Ill., assrgnors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Ernil lyardar Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 30, 196i, Ser. No. 135,069

4 Claims. (Cl. 60-52) The present invention relates to improvements in power operating mechanisms for elevating chairs.

In the power operation of elevatable chairs such as barber chairs or medical chairs,.it is desirable to achieve a silent operation from the standpoint of the comfort of the occupant and operator, and noise free operation is often essential in the environment in which the chair is used. It is also important to achieve power operation without the transmission of the vibration of power elements to the occupant of the chair. Noise and vibration factors are often amplified by chair structure elements which are frequently made of metal, and vibrationless, noise free operation has been difiicult to achieve in view of the relatively slow rate of movement necessary and the amount of power necessary to controllably raise a relatively heavy load. I 7

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a quiet, reliable, electrically powered lifting device fora chair structure which can be elevated and lowered and wherein controls are employed for obtaining a precise height. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a silently operable hydraulically elevated chair wherein the noise and vibration of both the pump and electric motor are damped and eliminated, and the noise and vibration of the release controls and the elevating mechanism are eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hy draulically elevated chair structure which has a wide range of elevation heights, and which is well adapted to reliable long operational life without requiring adjustment or attention.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved piston and cylinder assembly for elevating a power operated chair wherein vibration and noise due to stop mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 11-11 of FIGURE 3, with parts omitted for clarity of the drawing, and showing details of structure of the power elevating mechanism for the chair;

7 foot platform 14. The elevating mechanism. must be caping and startingand vibration and noise during eleva- 5 sentially silent and the noise level is below the surrounding background noise.

- base member 11.

' As will be noted from further description of the elepable of controllably elevating and lowering the chair with the weight of the occupant in itpand the chair must have adequate stability so as to be elevatable with an occupant standing on the platform 14.

As illustnated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the basell is constructed of formed metal such as shaped or steel, and supports a shell 15 with a shroud 16 extending above the shell. The shroud mounts on the shell in any convenient manner such as by telescopically slipping thereover as shown in the detail of FIGURE 2. The base 11 is formed so as to support the shell 15 in any convenient manner and is shown with an inwardly turned flange 17 upon which the shell 15 rests. The shell is held against the flange by generally annularly arranged spaced holding bolts 18..

The operating for elevating and lowering the chair is held primarily in a tank or container 19 supported on the base. For purposes of support of the tank 19, the shell 15 may be considered as an extension part of the base 11. The container 19 is formed of sheet metal in an elongated oval shape with a flat bottom 20 and side walls 21 which are turned outwardly in a flangeZZ at their upper ends provided with holes for vertical bolts. Bolts 23 are accommodated in some of the holes for clamping the container flange, 22 to the upper inwardly tinned edge of the shell 15 for supporting the weight of the container 19. Several of the holes in the flange 22 accommodate the longer bolts 18 for holding the shell down against the ments, the weight of the chair is supported on the tank or container 19 and this load is transmitted through the walls A feature of the invention is the provision of a power 7 neath the fluid and mounted on the bottomof the container, and a dampening mechanism connected between the piston and piston red. I r g p v I vOther objectsand advantages andfeatures will'becorne more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiment thereof in the specification, dnaw- .ingsin which: i

FIGURE lisa side el m-mar of ra treatable barber chair of the type employed with the elevating I of the container to the base. Noise or vibrations which might be generated are isolated from passing to the a formed sheet metal base by the tank being filled with hy-. draulic fluid. Further, noise of the operating elements. them-selves is isolated by the elements being submerged beneath the fluid in arrangement particularly designed for the elimination of noise and vibration. While referonce is made in the specification and claims to supporting a chair, it will be understood that this is for convenience fluid to a piston'and cylinder assembly 25 which is'also supported on the bottom 20 of the container. Surrounding the piston and cylinder assembly and spaced outwardly therefrom'is an enclosing lift tube 26. i For lower'ingthe chair, the hydraulic fluid is released from the cylinder and piston assembly 25 through an electrically operated dump or release valve, 27, which is also submergedbeg heath the'hydnaulic fluid in the-"container 19. T; i

Electrical leads for operating the electric motori 'of the motor and pump combination-zd, 'df the electricalleads, g

and the piston rod 35.

tain of the leads extend up to the chair for providing electricity thereto and for control mechanism, and these extend up into the space. 30', within the lift tube 26, passing through an insulating annular disk 31, Where they connect to specially designed connectors within an assembly 33, FIGURE 2, which permits both rotational and vertical movement of the chair. The details of these connectors need not be shown with respect to the instant invention. Vertical rods 32 in the space 30 form part of the connectors and are supported at their lower ends on. the disk 31, and extend at their upper ends through a chair plate 34 upon which the weight of the chair rests;

The chair plate 34 is connected at the top of the lift tube and the upper end of a piston rod 35 connects to the plate so that with vertical movement of a piston 36 the 4-- v on the plunger 39. The plate 40a is held down against the rings by a threaded stud 40c;

Pressurized hydraulic fluid is provided by the pump and motor assembly 24, which is shown as enclosed in a unit housing. The motor has a suitable electric motor driving a pump such as a gear pump, althoughother types of pumps may be employed which have a suitable output pressure and which do not. generate excessive noise. The motor and ptunp are completely submerged beneath the surface of the lubricating fluid, as indicated by the caption OIL LEVEL in FIGURES 2 and 4. This prevents sounds and noises from escaping from the container and also provides a coolant for the motor and pump.

37 through a fitting 47 connected to a, metal support 50. Fitting 47 provides a housing for .a check valve chair is elevated or lowered. A lock ring 34a locks the piston rod 35 to the plate 34.

Hydraulic fluid under pressure is directed beneath the piston 36 into a pressure chamber 37. The piston slides within a cylinder 45 and is sealed to the wall of the cylinder by a packing 40 which is of a suitable type, and may base of the piston 36. This darnps thefinal movement of thechair as the piston reaches its bottommost position, and as the projection 39 enters the opening 38.

which closes when the pump stops to prevent fluid from backing up through the pump and holds the fluid in the cylinder 45. The support 50-rigidly receives, the lower end of the cylinder 45 and supports the cylinder.

The support 50 is also tapped for the connection of the release valve 27,'which includes a normally closed valve 48 and a solenoid operator 49. Operation of the solenoid will open the valve to release fluid from the pressure chamber 37 at a predetermined rate to permit the chair to descend at a desired speed. It is to be noted that the solenoid operator'49 and the valve 48' are also Between the pressure chamber 37 beneath the piston Q 36, and the chair, is a resilient force dampener, and this is preferably located as shown, between the piston 36 For guiding the lower end of the piston rod, a guide disk assembly 41'is provided, and this disk assembly is positioned below the piston rod 35. The lower end 350 of the piston rod rests in a recess at the top of a rod base 7 41a. A sliding annular washer 42 engages the inner surface of the cylinder 45 and is formed of a relatively soft material such as nylon to prevent abrasion of the cylinder and to further prevent noise. Beneath the disk assembly 41 is a coil compression spring 43 which acts as the force dampener. the ends of the spring 43 is a resilient rubber cylindrical plug 44 which prevents noises being: genenatedfrom the vibration of the spring 43, and which prevents. complete compression of the spring 43 when the chair is lowered and the piston reaches its bottoming position. While the force dampener spring 43 is shown in its preferred form, it will be'understood that other force dampening resilient structures and apparatuses may be employed between the piston and piston rod. V

The piston arrangement, in greater detail, includes at the bottom of the piston rod, a nylon washer 35a which is held to the bottom of thepiston rod by a lock ring 35b in a groove at the base of-the rod,'and:the washer 35a prevents the piston rod inadvertently from being lifted out of, the top of the cylinder 45, and the cylinder top is provided with a suitable cap 45a which is secured in place to' the top of the cylinder.

i The slide or guide assembly 'has the nylon washer 42 held thereon by aaring 42a against which the spring 43 bears. The lower end of the spring rests on .a plate a which'holds the upper end of the chevron rings 40 in Within'the coils and intermediate I submerged beneath the surface of the oil level in the container 19 and therefore any noises generated by operation of the valve are damped, and vibrations or shocks due to operation of the valve are also damped and prevented from reaching the chair occupant.

The piston and cylinder assembly 25 mounted on the support 50, are mounted so as to be angularly adjustable with respect to their vertical position, in order that the position of the'chairr may be' adjusted. This accommodates rapid manufacturing techniques and permits assembly of the elevating mechanism for the chair with subsequent adjustment to insure that the chair will be in a horizontal position. above the base 11. 'In manufacturing techniques the sheet metal parts do not always fit with exactness, and any deviation from exact dimensions and shapes can be readily and easily accommodated by adjustment of the vertical position of the piston and cyl- I inder assembly 25 after the mechanism is assembled.

For this purpose, the support 50 is provided at its lower end with a member 51 having a downwardly facing fragmental spherical. surface, and this surface is received by a similar mating surface on a socket member 52." The socket member is supported at the bottom 20 of the container, and additional reinforcing plate 56 may be attached to the bottom of the container.

As illustratedin FIGURES 3 and 4, the support 50 has an outwardly extending flange which receives vertically extending bolts 53, 54 andi55 that are secured to the bottom 20 of the container. Each of the bolts is ,pro-

vided with nuts which are tightened onto the top of the The vertical adjustment of the position of the cylinder accommodated by the resilient support for the motor and pump 24 and by the yieldable conduit 46 which connects theoutput of the motor to the cylinder. The con;

. .duit is shown as formed in several loops, and in this manplace, fand-thejchevron rings are kept under compression rbyan upward force applied by a coil spring 40b; resting ner.can be conveniently made of copper tubing with the loops providing resiliency for adjustment of the cylinder, and also assimilating vibrations and noise. The loopsare shaped so as to be beneath the surface of the oil within the container 19.

The motor and pump assembly 24 is shown as being held by surrounding clamps 61 and 62 which have horizontally extending ends on each side of the assembly 24, and the ends at one side of the assembly are supported on pins with surrounding compression springs 57 supported on brackets 59 on the bottom 20 of the container. The pins are arranged to be slidable in openings in the ends of the clamps 61 and 62 so that the motor and pump 24 can float within the oil chamber. Similarly, at the other side of the motor and pump 24, the brackets at the ends of the clamps are supported on coil compression springs 58 surrounding similar pins which are mounted on brackets 60 on the bottom 20 of the container. The pins at each side of the motor and pump are shown at 57a and 58a for the respective springs 57 and 58. This resilient support aids in absorbing vibrations and noise of the motor and pump combination, and permits rapid assembly, eliminating the need for exact manufacturing tolerances.

In operation, the motor and pump assembly 24 deliver oil to the pressure chamber 37, FIGURE 2, beneath the piston 36 for elevating thechair, and when electrical operation of the pump is stopped, elevation of the chair is stopped. For lowering the chair, the valve 48 is opened by the solenoid 49 for a gradual release of fluid from the pressure chamber 37. Vibration and noise during both raising and lowering operation, and when stopping, are assimilated and eliminated by the submerged arrangement of the elements and by their resilient supports and resilient interconnections. Further, the oil chamber arrangement with respect to the chair structure and nut parts, with the other constructional features provides a substantially silent operation.

Thus it will be seen that we have providedan improved power operated chair mechanism for silently raising and lowering the chair which meets the objectives and advantages above set forth. The mechanism is well adapted for long operating life and does not require attention or adjustment.

The drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, but covers all modifications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles taught by the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A power mechanism for silently elevating and lowering a support for a load comprising a supporting base, an upright piston and cylinder assembly for elevating and lowering the support with said cylinder mounted on the base and said piston having a piston rod connected low said. guide, said spring being a coiled compression spring coaxial wtih said piston rod and a resilient plug held by said coils within the coils at a mid-portion of the spring.

2. A power elevated rotatable support for a chair comprising an upper frame to be positioned at a predetermined level angle with respect to a floor surface, a. base for resting on the floor surface, a hydraulic fluid chamber mounted on said base, an upright piston and cylinder assembly supported at its lower end within said chamber and attached at its upper end to said frame, the lower end of the cylinder being submerged beneath the fluid in the chamber, a mount assembly supporting said piston and cylinder assembly within the chamber and having universal lateral pivotal tilting movement for changing the angle of said frame to obtain said predetermined angle, said mount assemblycomprising a support member having an upper portion rigidly connected to said piston and cylinder assembly and having a lower. surface inciuding a centrally located downwardly facing fragmental spherical surface, a socket member mounted on the bottom of said container having an upwardly facing complementarily shaped fragmental spherical surface for receiving and engaging said spherical surface of said support member. in good bearing relation, said upper portion of said support member except for said spherical surface forming a flange extending radially outwardly in spaced relation to the bottom of said container, and adjustable spacing means spaced circumferentially about said flange to engage the bottom of said container to space portions of said flange relative to the bottom of said container to adjustably upright the position of said support member and said piston and cylinder assembly.

3. A power mechanism for silently elevating and lowering a support for a chair comprising a supporting base, an open container for containing a hydraulic fluid having a bottom and side walls and supported on the .base, a power driven fluid pump and motor assembly located in 3 said container positioned to be submerged beneath the fluid in the container so that pump and motor vibrations will be damped and prevented from reaching the support, a piston and cylinder assembly extending upright from the container for elevating or lowering the support and supported on said container bottom laterally of the pump, a flexible conduit communicating between said pump and said cylinder for elevating the support and submerged beneath the level of the fluid in the container, a'fluid' release passage communicating with the cylinder for the release of fluid to lower the support, a controlled pump valve interposed in said passage and located in the con- I tainer to be submerged beneath the fluid for damping vibrations and noise of operation of the valve from the support, and a solenoid operator for the valve mounted the container beneath the fluid in the container.

4. A power mechanism for silently elevating and lowering a support for a chair in accordance with claim 3 wherein the flexible conduit between the pump and cylinder for elevating the support is formed in looped shape and the conduit is completely submerged beneath the fluid in said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 60,527 Swartz June 14, 1898 1,078,127 Coleman Nov. 11, 1913 1,463,654 McNulty July 31, 1923 1,993,612 Lum Mar. \5, 1935.

' 2,146,403 Nilson Feb. 7, 1939 2,253,597 Wyne Aug. 26, 1941 Ellis June 28, 1955 

1. A POWER MECHANISM FOR SILENTLY ELEVATING AND LOWERING A SUPPORT FOR A LOAD COMPRISING A SUPPORTING BASE, AN UPRIGHT PISTON AND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY FOR ELEVATING AND LOWERING THE SUPPORT WITH SAID CYLINDER MOUNTED ON THE BASE AND SAID PISTON HAVING A PISTON ROD CONNECTED TO THE SUPPORT, A FLUID PUMP CONNECTED TO A PRESSURE CHAMBER AT ONE END OF THE CYLINDER FOR ELEVATING THE SUPPORT, A CONTROLLED FLUID RELEASE PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH THE CHAMBER FOR THE RELEASE OF FLUID TO LOWER THE SUPPORT, A GUIDE FOR THE LOWER END OF THE PISTON ROD SPACED ABOVE THE PISTON AND ENGAGING THE INNER WALL OF THE CYLINDER, A FORCE DAMPENING SPRING PROVIDING THE SOLE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN SAID PISTON ROD AND SAID PISTON BELOW SAID GUIDE, SAID SPRING BEING A COILED COMPRESSION SPRING COAXIAL WITH SAID PISTON ROD AND A RESILIENT PLUG HELD BY SAID COILS WITHIN THE COILS AT A MID-PORTION OF THE SPRING. 